Composite locomotive driving wheel



, Jan. 21, 1936.

A. G. COLE COMPOSITE LoGoMoTIvE DRIVING WHEEL Filed June 27, 1952 l r I gl /0 Z i /5 ag Q3 1 9 7/4/' INVENTOR /l/ws 6.62%?

Patented` `an. 21', 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE CGMPOSITE LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING 'WHEEL Amos G. Cole, Burnham, Pa.

Application June 27, 1932, Serial N0. 619,437

11 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locomotive driving wheels and more particularly to composite or built-up driving wheel centers.

There have been many attempts heretofore to provide built-up locomotive driving wheels which are economical in construction and yet will have the necessary strength to resist the torsional and impact forces to which a driving wheel is severely subjected. The prior art Wheels have not met with the desired degree of success either on account of being unable to manufacture the same as economically as had been expected or of the wheels being unable to withstand the enormous stresses to which 1,5, they are subjected. This is especially true where the prior .art Wheels were built up from plate steel because the Various component parts have not been suitably arranged or shaped for maximum cooperation as is accomplished in my disclosure herein.

t is one object of my invention to provide an improved built-up locomotive driving Wheel which is adapted to utilize plate steel in combination with cast or forged members while .at 25 the same time permitting the effective use of a built-up counterbalance chamber. A further and more specific object is to provide a built-up Wheel whose component parts may be effectively secured together preferably by welding, without having the welded seam subjected to abnormal stresses while in us-e. To accomplish this in one aspect of the invention, the steel plates are so arranged with respect to the cast or forged members that the forces may be transmitted 35y directly from one member tothe other without lnecessarily relying solely upon the welded seam.

A further object is to provide improved means for securing together the intermediate portions of the side steel plates which instead of being flat may be of slightly conical or dished form with their inner edges secured to the outermost portion o-f the hub.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a locomotive driving wheel; and

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are transverse sections taken respectively on lines 2 2, 3 3, and 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention I have shown a centrally disposed member in the form of a one piece steel casting or forging I of irregular shape to provide the main hub and a wristpin support or hole 2. An outer member in the form oi an endless ring 3, preferably rolled and of medium carbon steel although it might be cast, is provided with a small inwardly projecting flange 4 to form annular recesses 5 and 5, one of which receives the outer edge of an inner steel plate 1. This plate has its inner edge 8 shaped to conform to the outline of the o ne piece steel casting I, it being noted that the plate rests in a suitable recess 8 around the edge or boundary of this casting.

An outer steel plate 9 is similarly positioned in recesses 9 formed in casting I and recesses 5 in ring 3 .although it will be noted that the outer plate 9 as shown in Figs. 1 and i terminates adjacent means which ext-end outwardly from the side of the wheel, this means being shown as a horizontal or outwardly extending plate I!! bent or suitably shaped to form the upper side of a counterbalance chamber II. It is thus seen that plate 9 does not completely conform to the entire space enclosed between said central and outer members I and 3, it also being' noted that plate I0 forms substantially a chord across plate 9. The outer Wall of counterbalance chamber II is formed by a steel plate I2 shaped to conform substantially to the remaining space between the chord oi plate 9 and ring 3. The lower edge of plate I2 is secured to a horizontal or outwardly disposed plate I3 which is curved 'to conform to the inner cylindrical surface of ring 3. Plate I3 rests in that portion of recess 6 adjacent the chamber I I.

The various plates are secured together and held in spaced relation by spacing rods I4 having reduced ends received in suitable tapered openings in the side plates as is shown in Fig. 4. All of the various members are welded together as at I5, I6, I'I, and I8 and also at all other points or lines of contact between the various component parts. It will of ycourse be understood that chamber I I is filled with a suitable counterbalance weight, for example, lead which in liquid state m'ay be poured into the chamber before plate I2 is permanently secured in position or the lead may be poured in through a suitable radial hole in ring 3 thereby permitting plate I2 to be rst permanently positioned.

To facilitate the removal of locomotive parts which maybe disposed behind the locomotivewheel While at the same time increasing the strength of the wheel, I have provided two openings I9 formed by an enlarged hollow spacing member 20 which has reduced ends extending through suitable tapered openings in the side plates. The

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member 20 and plates 1 and 9 are suitably Welded as at 2|. When the Wheel is completely assembled, a tire 22 may be shrunk on -in the usual manner, it being noted that usual holding lugs 23 are secured at spaced points around the circumference of ring 3.

From the foregoing it is seen that my improved arrangement of parts not only permits a builtup Wheel to be effectively made but also presents a very durable construction highly adapted for Welding without subjecting the Welded seams to abnormal stresses. The Welding of the plates to the irregularly shaped hub insures that the driving torque will be transmitted through the Welded seams at least partially by compression forces thus allowing the welded seams to have greater strength and reliability. The side plates may have various shapes and contours without departing from the invention in principle.

It Will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes-and rearrangements of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A composite locomotive driving Wheel comprising, in combination, an irregularly shapedsingle member forming an axle hub and a radially onset crankpin hub, an outer ring, and spaced inner and outer plate steel sides welded to said irregularly shaped single member and ring.

2. A composite locomotive' driving Wheel comprising, in combination, an axle hub and a radially onset crankpin hub, an outer ring, at least one of said hubs and said ring having recesses, and a pair of axially spaced plate steel sides having their edges supported in said recesses and Welded to said hub and ring.

3. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination, a rim, a central member of irregular shape providing a hub and wristpin support, and means connecting said central member and rim in supporting relation including plate steel sides having inner edges conforming to the irregular shape of said central member and secured thereto, and means ior supporting a tire by said plates.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 further characterized in that said central member comprises an independent single integral casting.

5. A composite locomotive driving Wheel comprising, in combination, a rim, a central member of irregular shape providing a hub and wristpin support, said central member having a recess formed around substantially the boundary thereof, and means connecting said central member and rim in supporting relation including a plate steel side having an inner edge conforming to the irregular shape of said central member and disposed in the boundary recess thereof, and a Welded seam for securing said plate and hub together.

6. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination, an axle hub and a radially onset crankpin hub, an outer ring, spaced plate steel sides welded to said hubs and ring, and means including a steel plate separate from said side plates but secured to and supported by at least one of said side plates to form a counterbalance chamber.

7. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination, an axle hub and a radially onset crankpin hub, an outer ring, spaced plate steel sides welded to said hubs and ring, and means including a steel plate laterally onset from one of said side plates and welded thereto thereby to form a counterbalance chamber.

8. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination, a single member forming an axle hub and a radially onset crankpin hub. an outer ring, spaced plate steel sides welded to said single member, and means forming a counterbalance chamber including one of said side plates and a steel plate laterally onset from the other oi said side plates together with an axially extending member connecting the onset plate adJacent thereto with the side plate.

9. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination, a single member forming an axle hub and a radially onset orankpin hub, an outer ring, spaced plate steel sides welded to said single member, and means including a. steel plate laterally onset from one of said side plates and welded thereto thereby to form one side of a counterbalance chamber while the other of said side plates forms the other side ci said chamber, and one of said side plates conforming to less than the space enclosed between said hub and ring while said onset plate conforms substantially to the remaining space between said ring and latter side plate.

10. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination, an irregularly shaped single member forming an axle hub and a radially offset crankpin hub, an outer ring, and spaced plate steel sides welded to said member and ring along irregular lines, and means for supporting the intermediate portions ci said side plates including a plurality of spacing rods having reduced ends projecting through said plate and welded thereto.

11. A composite locomotive driving wheel comprising, in combination. an irregularly shaped single member forming an axle hub and a radially onset crankpin hub, an outer ring, spaced plate steel sides Welded to said member and ring, and means providing an enlarged transverse passage through said plates including a hollow sleeve having reduced ends projecting through openings in said plate and a welded seam connecting said plates and sleeve.

AMOS G. COLE. 

